Conventional carpet products made of synthetic fibers include carpets intended for "wall-to-wall" installation, area rugs, bath rugs and scatter rugs. These products are typically made of synthetic carpet fibers, such as nylon 6, nylon 66, a polyolefin or a polyester, applied to a backing material. Through the years, a variety of carpet products have been developed that offer desired combinations of durability, texture and feel.
A drawback to using carpet products in areas where they may be exposed to high levels of moisture, such as in residential bathrooms, is that the fibers may become wet or soggy. Mold or mildew may form if the carpet products are slow to dry. Additionally, the feel of a wet carpet underfoot is undesirable.
Many conventional synthetic carpet fibers, such as fibers formed of nylon polymers, have little absorbency of liquid moisture and a tendency to resist water at their surface. Additionally, carpet fibers having a water-repellent finish have been proposed. However, since liquid moisture is retained at the fiber surface on such fibers, the carpet still feels wet underfoot. And when moisture is pressed into the carpet fibers such as by stepping or walking with wet feet, the carpet backing may become saturated with water.
Carpet products made of water absorbent fibers, such as cotton fibers, have been marketed for bathroom applications. Generally, these carpets do not have the bulk attributed to carpets employing synthetic fibers such as nylon polymer fibers, for example, the carpet tufts lay flat. And although the carpet fibers absorb water so as to prevent water from penetrating to the carpet backing, the carpet fibers are slow to dry and still feel wet underfoot.